Reduced-friction buccal tube and method of use

ABSTRACT

An orthodontic appliance includes features for reducing friction between an interior of an archwire slot portion of the appliance and an archwire to be placed within the archwire slot. Other embodiments include a rounded exterior occlusal surface. Embodiments further comprise one or more receptacles for receiving an installation tool.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application claims the benefit of U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 60/824,891 filed on Sep. 7, 2006, the entire disclosureof which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to an orthodontic appliance, and moreparticularly, to a buccal tube and methods of use for the buccal tube.

BACKGROUND

The following text should not be construed as an admission of knowledgein the prior art. Furthermore, citation or identification of anydocument in this application is not an admission that such document isavailable as prior art to the present invention, or that any referenceforms a part of the common general knowledge in the art.

A buccal tube is an appliance used by orthodontists during a phase oftreatment to correct malpositioned teeth. The buccal tube is a deviceattached to a patient's tooth for orthodontic treatment in which thebuccal or cheek-facing side of the appliance includes a structure havingan opening that is typically suited for receiving another orthodontichardware member, such as an archwire, lip bumper, facebow, headgearappliance, etc.

For buccal tubes used with archwires, existing buccal tubes havedifficulties associated with the development of friction between thebuccal tube and the archwire inserted within the archwire slot of thebuccal tube. This type of friction (also referred to herein as “bindingfriction”) tends to cause binding between the archwire and the buccaltube. Accordingly, there is a need to provide a buccal tube that reducesthe amount of friction developed between the archwire slot of the buccaltube and the archwire.

Existing buccal tubes also have a shape that often irritates the insideof the patient's cheek because the edge of the buccal tube repeatedlyrubs against the cheek tissue. Thus, it would be advantageous to providea buccal tube that improves comfort of the appliance so that the buccaltube is less irritating to the patient, thereby improving patientsatisfaction and cooperation.

Finally, orthodontists face a number of difficulties in applyingorthodontic appliances to teeth because of the relatively small size ofthe appliances and the inherent problems associated with working withinthe confines of a patient's mouth. Prior patents at least partiallydirected to installation features include U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,206,690 and6,893,257, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference intheir entirety. Also incorporated by reference in its entirety is U.S.Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0046224. Although thesedocuments include some features for aiding the installation of anorthodontic appliance, there remains a need to provide improvedappliance features to facilitate easier and more accurate placement ofthe appliance on the patient's tooth by the orthodontist.

SUMMARY

The shortcomings of the prior art discussed above are addressed by thevarious embodiments of the present invention. It is to be understoodthat the present invention includes a variety of different versions orembodiments, and this Summary is not meant to be limiting orall-inclusive. This Summary provides some general descriptions of someof the embodiments, but may also include some more specific descriptionsof certain embodiments.

In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, an appliancecomprises a base designed for at least one of direct or indirectattachment to a tooth, and at least one archwire slot or appliance slotof some kind that is interconnected to or integral with the base.

In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, a reducedfriction buccal tube is provided. The reduced friction feature keeps thearchwire from dragging or causing friction in the archwire slot,especially in the corners of the openings of the archwire slot. In atleast one embodiment, the reduced friction part of the archwire slot isa protrusion that limits the amount of surface area that an archwire (ofany shape) is touching in the length of the archwire slot; however theclinical control remains the same because the archwire slot of thebuccal tube maintains contact with the archwire for substantially thefull mesial to distal length of the archwire slot. Embodiments of thepresent invention further comprise rounded features for improvingpatient comfort, as well as features for facilitating easierinstallation of the appliance on the patient's tooth.

Thus, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention, anorthodontic appliance for cooperating with an archwire is provided, theappliance comprising, a base and at least one archwire slot associatedwith the base, the archwire slot comprising a first aperture and asecond aperture defining a passageway between the first and secondapertures, wherein the passageway is adapted for receiving the archwire,and wherein at least a portion of an interior surface of the archwireslot proximate the passageway comprises a friction-reducing feature. Inaccordance with embodiments of the present invention, thefriction-reducing feature comprises at least one projection. Inaccordance with embodiments of the present invention, thefriction-reducing feature comprises at least a second projectionlongitudinally aligned with the first projection. In at least oneembodiment of the present invention, the archwire slot comprises anexterior surface wherein at least a portion of the exterior surface isrounded. In addition, the exterior surface may comprise a substantiallyplanar surface adjacent an occlusal-base edge. Also, the exteriorsurface may comprise a substantially planar surface adjacent agingival-base edge. In accordance with embodiments of the presentinvention, the appliance may further comprise a pair of receptacleshaving a tool receiving surface inset from the exterior surface, atleast one of the pair of receptacles located on an occlusal side of theexterior surface, and another of the pair of receptacles located on agingival side of the exterior surface. In accordance with embodiments ofthe present invention, the appliance may comprise at least onereceptacle in the exterior surface, the receptacle comprising a toolreceiving surface adapted for cooperating with a placement tool, thetool receiving surface comprising a single projection and a singleindentation. In accordance with embodiments of the present invention,the appliance may comprise at least a second receptacle in the exteriorsurface, the second receptacle comprising a tool receiving surfaceadapted for cooperating with the placement tool, the tool receivingsurface comprising a single projection and a single cavity orindentation. In accordance with embodiments of the present invention,the appliance may comprise at least one receptacle in the exteriorsurface, the receptacle for receiving a tool that applies a forcedirected outward from a center of the receptacle. In accordance withembodiments of the present invention, the appliance may comprise atleast one of (a) a second archwire slot and (b) an auxiliary tube.

In another embodiment of the invention, an orthodontic appliance isprovided, the appliance comprising a base and at least onearchwire/appliance slot/tube associated with the base, thearchwire/appliance slot/tube including an exterior surface and a pair ofreceptacles having a tool receiving surface inset from the exteriorsurface. In accordance with at least one embodiment of the presentinvention, at least one of the pair of receptacles is located on anocclusal side of a longitudinally-oriented centerline of the exteriorsurface, and another of the pair of receptacles located on a gingivalside of the longitudinally-oriented centerline of the exterior surface.In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, thearchwire/appliance slot/tube comprises a first aperture and a secondaperture defining a passageway between the first and second apertures,wherein the passageway is adapted for receiving an archwire, and whereinat least a portion of an interior surface of the buccal tube proximatethe passageway comprises a friction-reducing feature. At least a portionof the exterior surface may be rounded.

In another embodiment of the invention, a buccal tube for attachment toa tooth is provided, the buccal tube comprising:

a base;

at least one archwire slot associated with said base, the archwire slotincluding interior sides comprising a gingival side, an occlusal side, abuccal side, and a lingual side, wherein a plurality of the gingival,occlusal, buccal and lingual sides comprise a friction reducing feature,wherein said friction reducing feature comprises at least one of:

-   -   (a) a plurality of longitudinally aligned projections; and    -   (b) a longitudinally extending projection.        The archwire slot may further comprise an exterior surface and a        pair of receptacles having a tool receiving surface inset from        said exterior surface, at least one of said pair of receptacles        located on an occlusal side of a longitudinally-oriented        centerline of said archwire slot, and another one of said pair        of receptacles located on a gingival side of the longitudinally        oriented centerline of said archwire slot, the pair of        receptacles including a mesial edge trending in a mesial to        distal direction from a buccal to a lingual side of the        receptacle, wherein at least a portion of said exterior surface        is rounded, wherein said exterior surface comprises a        substantially planar surface adjacent an occlusal-base edge, and        wherein said exterior surface comprises a substantially planar        surface adjacent a gingival-base edge.

The present invention contemplates use of alternate features than thosedescribed, but encompassed by the scope of the invention. Accordingly,an orthodontic appliance is provided for cooperating with an archwire,the appliance comprising structure for defining a mesial-distallyoriented chamber adapted for receiving the archwire, the structure fordefining the mesial-distally oriented chamber comprising a way forreducing friction between the structure for defining the mesial-distallyoriented chamber and the archwire.

An orthodontic appliance for cooperating with an archwire is provided,the appliance comprising: means for defining a mesial-distally orientedchamber adapted for receiving the archwire and including an exteriorsurface buccally enclosing the chamber, the means for definingcomprising one or more means for reducing friction with the archwire,the one or more means for reducing friction located along interior sidesof the means for defining, wherein the one or more means for reducingfriction contacts one or more portions of the archwire along alongitudinal length of the mesial-distally oriented chamber, and whereinthe one or more means for reducing friction are located along at leasttwo opposite sides of the chamber.

In addition to the foregoing, the present invention further comprisesmethods of adjusting a position of a tooth. At least one methodcomprising:

attaching a buccal tube to the tooth;

directing an archwire into an archwire slot in the buccal tube, thearchwire slot including a gingival side, an occlusal side, a buccalside, and a lingual side; and

contacting an exterior surface of the archwire with friction reducingfeatures located within the archwire slot, the friction reducingfeatures comprising at least one of:

-   -   (a) a plurality of projections residing along a longitudinal        length of at least one of the gingival side, occlusal side,        buccal side, and lingual side; and    -   (b) a longitudinally extending projection residing along a        longitudinal length of one or more of the gingival side,        occlusal side, buccal side, and lingual side.        The attaching step may comprise engaging the buccal tube using        an installation tool, an exterior of the buccal tube comprising        a pair of receptacles for receiving a portion of the        installation tool.

A method of adjusting a tooth comprises grasping an appliance using aninstallation tool, such as tweezers, wherein the appliance comprises abase interconnected to or integral with an archwire/appliance slot/tube,the archwire/appliance slot/tube comprising a pair of receptacles forreceiving a portion of the installation tool. The method furthercomprises advancing the installation tool into the patient's mouth withthe appliance held in compression, and then contacting the appliance toa tooth of the patient. Other methods include treating a patient usingan appliance and an archwire, wherein the appliance comprises anarchwire/appliance slot/tube having a friction-reducing feature forcooperating with the archwire.

Other aspects of various embodiments not summarized here are alsoconsidered to form part of the present invention, either alone or incombination with other aspects.

As used herein, “at least one”, “one or more”, and “and/or” areopen-ended expressions that are both conjunctive and disjunctive inoperation. For example, each of the expressions “at least one of A, Band C”, “at least one of A, B, or C”, “one or more of A, B, and C”, “oneor more of A, B, or C” and “A, B, and/or C” means A alone, B alone, Calone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, or A, B andC together.

It is to be noted that the term “a” or “an” entity refers to one or moreof that entity. As such, the terms “a” (or “an”), “one or more” and “atleast one” can be used interchangeably herein. It is also to be notedthat the terms “comprising”, “including”, and “having” can be usedinterchangeably.

Various embodiments of the present invention are set forth in theattached figures and in the detailed description of the invention asprovided herein and as embodied by the claims. It should be understood,however, that this Summary does not contain all of the aspects andembodiments of the present invention, is not meant to be limiting orrestrictive in any manner, and that the invention as disclosed herein isand will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art toencompass obvious improvements and modifications thereto.

Additional advantages of the present invention will become readilyapparent from the following discussion, particularly when taken togetherwith the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a side elevation view of a distal end of an orthodonticappliance in accordance with embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 1B is a side elevation view of a distal end of an orthodonticappliance in accordance with embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the device shown in FIG. 1A;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the device shown in FIG. 1A;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation view of the device shown in FIG. 1A; and

FIG. 5A is a side elevation view of a distal end of an orthodonticappliance in accordance with embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 5B is a perspective view of the device shown in FIG. 5A;

FIG. 5C is a side elevation view of a distal end of an orthodonticappliance in accordance with embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 5D is a perspective view of the device shown in FIG. 5C;

FIG. 6A is a plan view of an orthodontic appliance in accordance withembodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 6B is a perspective view of the device shown in FIG. 6A;

FIG. 6C is a side elevation view of a distal end of an orthodonticappliance in accordance with embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 6D is a perspective view of the device shown in FIG. 6C;

FIG. 6E is a side elevation view of the distal end of the device shownin FIGS. 6A and 6B;

FIG. 7A is a side elevation view of a distal end of an orthodonticappliance in accordance with embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 7B is a perspective view of the device shown in FIG. 7A;

FIG. 7C is a side elevation view of a distal end of an orthodonticappliance in accordance with embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 7D is a perspective view of the device shown in FIG. 7C;

FIG. 8A is a side elevation view of a distal end of an orthodonticappliance in accordance with embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 8B is a perspective view of the device shown in FIG. 8A;

FIG. 8C is a side elevation view of a distal end of an orthodonticappliance in accordance with embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 8D is a perspective view of the device shown in FIG. 8C;

FIG. 9A is a plan view of an orthodontic appliance in accordance withembodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 9B is a perspective view of the device shown in FIG. 9A;

FIG. 10A is a plan view of an orthodontic appliance in accordance withembodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 10B is a perspective view of the device shown in FIG. 10A;

FIGS. 11A and 11B are perspective views of an orthodontic appliance inaccordance with embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 12A is a plan view of an orthodontic appliance in accordance withembodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 12B is a perspective view of the device shown in FIG. 12A;

FIG. 13A is a plan view of an orthodontic appliance in accordance withembodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 13B is a perspective view of the device shown in FIG. 13A;

FIG. 14A is a plan view of an orthodontic appliance in accordance withembodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 14B is a perspective view of the device shown in FIG. 14A;

FIG. 15A is a plan view of an orthodontic appliance in accordance withembodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 15B is a perspective view of the device shown in FIG. 15A; and

FIG. 16 is a side elevation view of a distal end of an orthodonticappliance in accordance with embodiments of the present invention.

The drawings are not necessarily to scale, may include exaggeratedfeatures, and may depict one or more inventions.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to FIG. 1A, and in accordance with at least one embodimentof one or more of the present inventions described herein, anorthodontic appliance in the form of a buccal tube 10 is shown, whereinthe buccal tube 10 incorporates features to reduce the binding frictiondeveloped between the buccal tube 10 and a device inserted into thebuccal tube 10. For example, the present invention includes buccal tubes10 having at least one archwire slot 14 with friction reducing featuresfor improved interaction with an archwire. The present invention isapplicable to a buccal tube 10 having only one archwire slot 14, or to abuccal tube 10 having a plurality of archwire slots 14. In addition, ascan appreciated by those skilled in the art, it is to be understood thatthe present invention is applicable to a buccal tube 10 that utilizesone or more archwire slots 14 in combination with other elongatedopenings, such as auxiliary tubes, headgear tubes and appliance slots.Accordingly, “archwire slot” is used to generally define an elongatedopening that is adapted for receiving an archwire. However, as usedherein, the more generic term “archwire/appliance slot/tube” means anelongated opening that is adapted for receiving either an archwire orsome other type of appliance.

For the buccal tube 10 shown in FIG. 1A, the buccal tube 10 features twoarchwire slots (or appliance slots/tubes), namely, archwire/applianceslot/tube 14 a and archwire/appliance slot/tube 14 b. Accordingly, thebuccal tube 10 of FIG. 1A may be characterized as a first molar, doublenon-convertible buccal tube with a hook. Although a non-convertiblebuccal tube is shown in FIG. 1A, it is to be understood that aspects ofthe present invention are also applicable to convertible buccal tubebrackets, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,428,314 entitled“Convertible Buccal Tube” and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser.No. 60/795,611 entitled “Orthodontic Bracket With Convertible BuccalTube”; the contents of the foregoing patent and patent application areincorporated herein by this reference in their entireties. Furthermore,the present invention is also applicable to buccal tubes having one,two, three or more archwire/appliance slots/tubes 14. For example, inaccordance with embodiments of the present invention, FIG. 1B depicts afirst molar, single non-convertible buccal tube 10 with a hook.

The use of multiple archwire/appliance slots/tubes in the same buccaltube allows the treating orthodontist to apply a single buccal tube tothe patient's tooth, and utilize either one or more than one of thearchwire/appliance slots/tubes. For the buccal tube 10 shown in FIG. 1A,the orthodontist could use one or both of the archwire/applianceslots/tubes 14 a, 14 b during the various phases of treatment. Among itsuses, the different archwire/appliance slot/tube locations on the buccaltube allow for the force/torque to be applied to the tooth alongdifferent points or lines of influence for each archwire/applianceslot/tube 14 a, 14 b.

For the buccal tube 10 shown in FIG. 1A, each archwire/applianceslot/tube 14 a, 14 b extends in a mesial-distal direction. Again, thepresent invention also applies to buccal tubes having one or more thantwo archwire/appliance slots/tubes, and the following discussion isdirected to a single archwire/appliance slot/tube 14 a to discuss thefeatures of the archwire/appliance slot/tube. However, the discussionapplies equally to other archwire/appliance slots/tubes that may beassociated with the buccal tube, such as archwire/appliance slot/tube 14b shown in buccal tube 10 of FIG. 1A.

In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, thearchwire/appliance slot/tube 14 a includes an interior opening 18bordered by four interior sides, namely, a gingival side 22, an occlusalside 26, a buccal side 30, and a lingual side 34. Of course, dependingupon the orientation of the buccal tube 10 in the patient's mouth, thegingival side 22 and occlusal side 26 may be reversed.

In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, at least one ofthe interior sides 22, 26, 30 and 34, and more preferably, more than oneof the interior sides 22, 26, 30 and 34 of the archwire/applianceslot/tube 14 a include a feature to reduce the amount of frictiondeveloped between an archwire and the archwire/appliance slot/tube 14 a.More particularly, for the buccal tube 10 shown in FIG. 1A, thearchwire/appliance slot/tube 14 a includes a projection 38 residing onat least one of the interior sides 22, 26, and 34. For the buccal tube10 shown in FIG. 1A, both of the gingival side 22 and the occlusal side26 include at least one projection 38 to reduce the amount of surfacearea contact between the side of the archwire and the gingival side 22and the occlusal side 26 of the archwire/appliance slot/tube 14 a. FIGS.5A and 5B illustrate a version of a buccal tube 10, and FIGS. 5C and 5Dillustrate another version of a buccal tube 10. Buccal tubes 10 of FIGS.5A-5B and 5C-5D, have twin archwire/appliance slots/tubes 14 a and 14 b,wherein the gingival side 22, occlusal side 26, and buccal side 30 ofthe interior of the archwire/appliance slots/tubes 14 a and 14 b eachinclude projections 38. By providing the projections 38 along one ormore of the interior sides 22, 26, 30 and 34, the binding frictionbetween the archwire and the buccal tube buccal tube 10 is reduced,thereby providing improved performance of the buccal tube 10 to adjustthe patient's tooth. It is noted that at least some embodiments of thepresent invention do not include a projection along the lingual side 34of the archwire/appliance slots/tubes 14 a and 14 b. As discussed inmore detail below, the friction reducing features preferably comprisesat least one of: (a) a plurality of longitudinally aligned projectionsresiding along a longitudinal length of one or more of the gingival side22, occlusal side 26, buccal side 30, and lingual side 34; and (b) alongitudinally extending projection residing along a longitudinal lengthof one or more of the gingival side 22, occlusal side 26, buccal side30, and lingual side 34. In accordance with embodiments of the presentinvention, one or more projections are located along at least two of thegingival side 22, occlusal side 26, and buccal side 30 the interior ofthe archwire slot 14.

Referring now to FIG. 5E, an embodiment one of a gingival side 22, anocclusal side 26, a buccal side 30, or a lingual side 34 of anarchwire/appliance slots/tube 14 is shown, wherein other portions of thebuccal tube 10, including the remaining sides, are not depicted forclarity. The mesial end 32 of the interior side 22, 26, 30, 34 includesprojection 38 a that comprises a rounded feature. The distal end 36 ofthe interior side 22, 26, 30, and 34 also includes a projection 38 b.For the embodiment shown in FIG. 5E, the projection 38 a is notcontinuous with projection 38 b along interior side 22, 26, 30, 34. Thatis, the projections 38 a and 38 b are spaced apart along a longitudinallength of the interior side 22, 26, 30, 34. Accordingly, projection 38 ais longitudinally spaced apart but longitudinally aligned withprojection 38 b. An archwire A is shown extending in a mesial-distaldirection that substantially corresponds to the mesial-distalorientation of the interior side 22, 26, 30, 34. The projections 38 aand 38 b cause a limited amount of the archwire A to contact a surfaceof the interior side 22, 26, 30, 34. For the example shown in FIG. 5E,the archwire A has a substantially rectangular or square shape in crosssection (although the buccal tubes 10 described herein will receivearchwires of different cross sectional shapes, such as round), and aside 40 of the archwire A contacts the projections 38 a and 38 b along acrown or ridge line 44 of the projections 38 a and 38 b. As a result,the archwire does not contact the majority of the length of the interiorside 22, 26, 30, 34 because the projections 38 a and 38 b cause thearchwire to be spaced apart from the surface 39 of interior side 22, 26,30, 34, such as by a distance D.

Referring now to FIG. 5F, there is shown an embodiment of a projection38 that extends in a longitudinal direction along the interior side 22,26, 30, 34. Again, other portions of the buccal tube 10, including theremaining sides, are not depicted for clarity. The projection 38 of FIG.5F substantially comprises a single and continuous curved surface 48that extends in a mesial-distal orientation. For the example shown inFIG. 5F, again, the archwire A has a substantially rectangular or squareshape in cross section, and a side 40 of the archwire A contacts theprojection 38 along the longitudinal length of the projection 38. Giventhat the projection 38 has a curved surface 48 that is exposed to theside 40 of the archwire A, a limited surface area of thearchwire/appliance slots/tube 14 contacts the archwire A, therebyreducing binding friction between the archwire A and thearchwire/appliance slots/tube 14.

Referring still to FIGS. 5E and 5F, when multiple interior sides 22, 26,30, 34 of the archwire/appliance slots/tube 14 include the frictionreducing features of the one or more inventions described herein (suchas projection 38 or projections 38 a and 38 b), additional reductions inbinding friction are provided. However, the projections 38 (orprojections 38 a and 38 b) still provide control of the archwire A alongthe longitudinal length of the archwire/appliance slots/tube 14 becausethe projections 38 (or projections 38 a and 38 b) engage the archwire Aat more than one point along the archwire A.

Referring still to FIGS. 5E and 5F, the drawings further illustratetapered ends 54 at the mesial end 32 and distal end 36 of the interiorsides 22, 26, 30 and 34. The tapered ends 54 further reduce frictionbetween the archwire/appliance slots/tube 14 and the archwire A.

Although discussed in terms of a projection 38, the surface areareducing feature may alternately comprise other ways of reducingfriction within the archwire/appliance slot/tube 14, including a recessor multiple recesses along one or more of the interior sides 22, 26, 30and 34. In general, the reduced friction portion of the interior opening18 limits the amount of surface area that an archwire of any shape willbe touching in the length of the opening 18 of the archwire/applianceslot/tube 14 a. By way of example and not limitation, and as shown inFIGS. 5A-8D, the projections may take on a variety of shapes. Thebinding friction is thus reduced, including at the corners 16 of thearchwire/appliance slot/tube 14 a.

Embodiments of the reduced friction archwire/appliance slot/tube 14 ahave application for use in a molar (buccal) orthodontic tube, as wellas any buccal tube including molar tubes, regular tubes and brackets ofany kind that include a slot/tube structure. For buccal tube 10 shown inFIG. 1A, the buccal tube 10 further comprises a hook 42 for facilitatingattachment of another device to the buccal tube 10. However, it is to beunderstood that the hook 42 is optional.

In accordance with at least some embodiments of the present invention,the frictional reducing features along one or more of the interior sides22, 26, 30 and 34 are positioned to provide contact between the one ormore of the interior sides 22, 26, 30 and 34 and the archwire at or nearat least the mesial and distal ends the archwire/appliance slot/tube 14a, such as shown for one of the interior sides 22, 26, 30, and 34depicted in FIG. 5E. Alternatively, the friction reducing featuresextend substantially the entire interior length of the interior sideshaving the feature, such as shown for one of the interior sides 22, 26,30, and 34 depicted in FIG. 5F. In this way, the clinical control of thebuccal tube 10 is preserved because the archwire/appliance slot/tube 14a is able to influence the archwire along substantially its entiremesial-distal length while still reducing the binding frictionassociated with contacting the archwire/appliance slot/tube 14 acontacting the archwire.

In a separate aspect of one or more inventions described herein, atleast some embodiments of buccal tube 10 include a rounded exteriorocclusal surface 52. The rounded occlusal surface 52 provides forimproved patient comfort, and thus, better patient satisfaction andcooperation with the treating orthodontist. In accordance withembodiments of the present invention, and as seen in the embodimentsillustrated in FIGS. 1A-4 and 8A-8D, the buccal tube 10 incorporates asubstantially planar surface portion 56 extending from an occlusal-baseedge 60 near the base 64, that leads continuously into a relativelylarge radius rounded exterior occlusal surface 52 to give theexaggerated rounded surface on the occlusal side of the buccal tube 10.The buccal tube 10 may include a substantially planar surface portion 58extending from a gingival-base edge 62 near the base 64. Accordingly, inaccordance with at least one embodiment of the present invention, thearchwire/appliance slot/tube 14 is not completely dome-shaped on the topor buccal side because of (1) the presence of the flat or planar surfaceportion 56, as well as (2) the presence of planar surface portion 58.The rounded exterior occlusal surface 52 preferably extendssubstantially the entire mesial/distal longitudinal length L of thearchwire/appliance slot/tube 14, and can be a variety of radius sizesdepending on the overall size of the archwire/appliance slot/tube 14.

Referring now to FIGS. 2, 3, 4, 7D, 8B, 8D, and 9A-15B, and inaccordance with at least one embodiment of one or more inventionsdescribed herein, the buccal tube 10 includes a way for receiving aninstallation tool. More particularly, the exterior surface 66 maycomprise at least one, and more preferably, a pair of tool receivingsurfaces or receptacles for communication with an installation toolduring placement of the buccal tube 10 on the patient's tooth. The insetreceptacles 68 are preferably located on opposite sides of alongitudinally oriented centerline CL-CL of the buccal tube 10 (or onopposite sides of a longitudinally oriented centerline of thearchwire/appliance slot/tube 14 if a single slot is present, such asshown in FIG. 1B), such as being inset within the exterior surface 66 ofthe archwire/appliance slots/tubes 14 a, 14 b. More particularly, onereceptacle 68 is preferably located on the gingival side 72 of thecenterline CL-CL, and the other receptacle 68 is preferably located onthe occlusal side 76 of the centerline CL-CL of the buccal tube 10. Inaccordance with embodiments of the present invention, the receptacles 68include a substantially planar area on the gingival and occlusal sides72 and 76, respectively, of the centerline CL-CL of the exterior surface66 of buccal tube 10.

The receptacles 68 may be configured for use with a direct bondtweezers, such as RMO i-1102/RMO T01102 tweezers. For the buccal tube 10shown in FIGS. 2-4, the receptacles 68 include a sloped mesial edge 80trending in a mesial to distal direction from the buccal to the lingualside of the receptacle 68. In contrast, the distal end 84 of thereceptacles 68 is typically not sloped in a mesial to distal direction.The receptacles 68 further include a lingual ledge 88. By way of exampleand not limitation, FIGS. 2, 3, 4, 7D, 8B, 8D, and 9A-15B include avariety of shapes that may be used to form the receptacles 68.

In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the appliancemay comprise at least one receptacle in the exterior surface, thereceptacle comprising a tool receiving surface adapted for cooperatingwith a placement tool, the tool receiving surface comprising a singleprojection and a single indentation. In accordance with embodiments ofthe present invention, the appliance may comprise at least a secondreceptacle in the exterior surface, the second receptacle comprising atool receiving surface adapted for cooperating with the placement tool,the tool receiving surface comprising a single projection and a singlecavity or indentation. In accordance with embodiments of the presentinvention, the appliance may comprise at least one receptacle in theexterior surface, the receptacle for receiving a tool that applies aforce directed outward from a center of the receptacle.

In use, the shape of the receptacle 68 cooperates with the angle of theinstallation tool or tweezers, such that the installer of the buccaltube 10 is able to manipulate the buccal tube 10 to go straight into thepatient's mouth, thus relieving the installer of relatively largemovements of the cheek.

Referring now to FIG. 16, and in accordance with at least one embodimentof one or more inventions described herein, a buccal tube 10 is shownhaving a pair of archwire/appliance slots/tubes 14 a and 14 b. The firstarchwire/appliance slot/tube 14 a is substantially circular in crosssection and includes a plurality of projections 38. The projectionslimit the surface area contact between the exterior sides of thearchwire A and the interior of the archwire/appliance slot/tube 14 a.

In a separate aspect of one or more embodiments of the one or moreinventions described herein, a buccal tube 10 is provided that has atleast one archwire/appliance slot/tube that includes projections forreducing frictional interaction with an archwire, and at least onearchwire/appliance slot/tube that does not include projections, such asfor reducing frictional interaction with an archwire. Referring again toFIG. 16, the first archwire/appliance slot/tube 14 a includes at leastone projection 38, and a second archwire/appliance slot/tube 14 b isdepicted that does not include a projection 38.

In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, a method ofadjusting the position of a tooth is provide, the method includingattaching a buccal tube to a tooth and inserting an archwire through anarchwire slot in the buccal tube. The method further includes limitingsurface contact of the archwire along a portion of the longitudinallength of the archwire slot by contacting an exterior surface of thearchwire with friction reducing features located within the archwireslot. More particularly, the method includes contacting the exteriorsurface of the archwire with one or more of the interior sides of thearchwire slot, wherein the interior sides include a gingival side, anocclusal side, a buccal side, and a lingual side. The friction reducingfeatures preferably comprises at least one of: (a) a plurality ofprojections residing along a longitudinal length of one or more of thegingival side, occlusal side, buccal side, and lingual side; and (b) alongitudinally extending projection residing along a longitudinal lengthof one or more of the gingival side, occlusal side, buccal side, andlingual side. In accordance with embodiments of the present invention,one or more projections are located along a plurality of the gingivalside, buccal side, and lingual side of the interior of the archwireslot.

It should be understood that the scope of the present invention includesthe use of a plurality of passageways, including at least onepassageway, and more preferably, at least two passageways, andpotentially three or more passageways in any particular device. Suchpassageways can be configured in various symmetrical shapes andconfigurations to include squares, rectangles, triangles, polygons,octagons, flat and curved sided configurations, etc. In a preferredembodiment, the geometrical configuration of a passageway mirrors thegeneral exterior shape of an archwire used with such appliance. It isalso within the scope of the present invention that frangible coversabutting or extending over an archwire placed within the orthodonticdevice of the present invention, be removable and/or adjusted in waysdesired by an orthodontist. Thus, for example, materials roundingreceptacle 68 can be constructed so as to be frangible and thusremovable at some point in time after desired placement of a deviceand/or for orientation thereof. The number of receptacles 68 caninclude, for example, at least one receptacle suitable for manipulationby an orthodontist, but may also include one or more, two or more, orthree or more such receptacles, which can, in certain embodiments, beadapted to correlate with the prongs of a receptacle engaging device orinsertion tool. One of skill in the art will also appreciate the scopeof the present invention includes the use of different geometricallyconfigured passageways, such that a square archwire can be used in onepassageway, whereas a round archwire can be used in an adjacentpassageway, etc., with the passageways having a similar exteriorconfiguration as the archwire utilized in such applications.Alternatively, the passageway or archwire slot may have a differentgeometric shape than that of the archwire used.

In summation, a buccal tube is provided that includes a number of novelfeatures, including a friction reducing profile within the buccal tubeopening, modified exterior shaping to facilitate improved comfort, and aplurality of positioning notches, buccal recesses, gripping portions orplacement notches for receiving an installation tool. For theabove-described buccal tube 10, placement of the archwire/applianceslot/tube 14 on a band can cover any angle, mesial/distal locations,gingival/occlusal locations, and any direct bond applications.

One or more inventions may be described herein, and embodiments shownand/or described may comprise one or more of the inventions.

A number of variations and modifications of the invention can be used.It would be possible to provide for some features of the inventionwithout providing others. For example, in one alternative embodiment, alow friction archwire/appliance slot/tube may be used without a roundedexterior occlusal surface, and without the installation tool receivingreceptacles. In another alternative embodiment, the receptacles may beused on a buccal tube having gingival and occlusal surfaces, but withouta low friction archwire/appliance slot/tube for receiving an archwire,and without a rounded exterior occlusal surface.

The present invention, in various embodiments, includes components,methods, processes, systems and/or apparatus substantially as depictedand described herein, including various embodiments, subcombinations,and subsets thereof. Those of skill in the art will understand how tomake and use the present invention after understanding the presentdisclosure. The present invention, in various embodiments, includesproviding devices and processes in the absence of items not depictedand/or described herein or in various embodiments hereof, including inthe absence of such items as may have been used in previous devices orprocesses, e.g., for improving performance, achieving ease and/orreducing cost of implementation.

The foregoing discussion of the invention has been presented forpurposes of illustration and description. The foregoing is not intendedto limit the invention to the form or forms disclosed herein. In theforegoing Detailed Description Of The Invention for example, variousfeatures of the invention are grouped together in one or moreembodiments for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This methodof disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention thatthe claimed invention requires more features than are expressly recitedin each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventiveaspects lie in less than all features of a single foregoing disclosedembodiment. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated into thisDetailed Description Of The Invention, with each claim standing on itsown as a separate preferred embodiment of the invention.

Moreover, although the description of the invention has includeddescription of one or more embodiments and certain variations andmodifications, other variations and modifications are within the scopeof the invention, e.g., as may be within the skill and knowledge ofthose in the art, after understanding the present disclosure. It isintended to obtain rights that include alternative embodiments to theextent permitted, including alternate, interchangeable and/or equivalentstructures, functions, ranges or steps to those claimed.

1. An orthodontic appliance for cooperating with an archwire, theappliance comprising: a base; and at least one archwire slot associatedwith said base, the archwire slot comprising a first aperture and asecond aperture defining a passageway between said first and secondapertures, wherein the passageway is adapted for receiving the archwire,and wherein at least a portion of an interior surface of said archwireslot proximate said passageway comprises a friction reducing feature. 2.The appliance as claimed in claim 1, wherein said friction reducingfeature comprises at least one projection.
 3. The appliance as claimedin claim 2, wherein said friction reducing feature comprises at least asecond projection longitudinally aligned with said first projection. 4.The appliance as claimed in claim 1, wherein said archwire slotcomprises an exterior surface, and wherein at least a portion of saidexterior surface is rounded.
 5. The appliance as claimed in claim 4,wherein said exterior surface comprises a substantially planar surfaceadjacent an occlusal-base edge.
 6. The appliance as claimed in claim 5,wherein said exterior surface comprises a substantially planar surfaceadjacent a gingival-base edge.
 7. The appliance as claimed in claim 1,further comprising a pair of receptacles having a tool receiving surfaceinset from said exterior surface, at least one of said pair ofreceptacles located on an occlusal side of a longitudinally-orientedcenterline of said archwire slot, and another one of said pair ofreceptacles located on a gingival side of the longitudinally orientedcenterline of said archwire slot.
 8. The appliance as claimed in claim1, further comprising at least one receptacle in said exterior surface,the receptacle comprising a tool receiving surface adapted forcooperating with a placement tool, the tool receiving surface comprisinga single projection and a single indentation.
 9. The appliance asclaimed in claim 8, further comprising at least a second receptacle insaid exterior surface, the second receptacle comprising a tool receivingsurface adapted for cooperating with the placement tool, the toolreceiving surface comprising a single projection and a singleindentation.
 10. The appliance as claimed in claim 1, further comprisingat least one receptacle in said exterior surface, the receptacle forreceiving a tool that applies a force directed outward from a center ofthe receptacle.
 11. The appliance as claimed in claim 1, furthercomprising at least one of (a) a second archwire slot and (b) anauxiliary tube.
 12. An orthodontic appliance comprising: a base; atleast one appliance slot associated with said base, the appliance slotincluding an exterior surface and a pair of receptacles having a toolreceiving surface inset from said exterior surface, at least one of saidpair of receptacles located on an occlusal side of alongitudinally-oriented centerline of said appliance slot, and anotherone of said pair of receptacles located on a gingival side of thelongitudinally oriented centerline of said appliance slot.
 13. Theappliance as claimed in claim 12, wherein said appliance slot comprisesa first aperture and a second aperture defining a passageway betweensaid first and second apertures, wherein the passageway is adapted forreceiving an archwire, and wherein at least a portion of an interiorsurface of said appliance slot proximate said passageway comprises afriction reducing feature.
 14. The appliance as claimed in claim 12,wherein at least a portion of said exterior surface is rounded.
 15. Theappliance as claimed in claim 14, wherein said exterior surfacecomprises a substantially planar surface adjacent an occlusal-base edge.16. The appliance as claimed in claim 15, wherein said exterior surfacecomprises a substantially planar surface adjacent a gingival-base edge.17. An orthodontic appliance for cooperating with an archwire, theappliance comprising: means for defining a mesial-distally orientedchamber adapted for receiving the archwire and including an exteriorsurface buccally enclosing the chamber, said means for definingcomprising one or more means for reducing friction with the archwire,the one or more means for reducing friction located along interior sidesof the means for defining, wherein said one or more means for reducingfriction contacts one or more portions of the archwire along alongitudinal length of the mesial-distally oriented chamber, and whereinsaid one or more means for reducing friction are located along at leasttwo opposite sides of the chamber.
 18. The appliance as claimed in claim17, wherein said means for defining comprises a rounded occlusalexterior surface.
 19. The appliance as claimed in claim 17, wherein saidmeans for defining comprises means for receiving an installation tool,and wherein said means for receiving comprises a surface inset relativeto said exterior surface.
 20. An orthodontic appliance comprising: abase; at least one appliance slot associated with said base, theappliance slot comprising a first aperture and a second aperturedefining a passageway between said first and second apertures, whereinthe passageway is adapted for receiving an archwire, and wherein atleast a portion of an interior surface of said appliance slot proximatesaid passageway comprises a friction reducing feature comprising anon-planar surface, wherein said friction reducing feature comprises atleast a first projection longitudinally aligned with a secondprojection, the appliance slot including an exterior surface and a pairof receptacles having a tool receiving surface inset from said exteriorsurface, at least one of said pair of receptacles located on an occlusalside of a longitudinally-oriented centerline of said appliance slot, andanother one of said pair of receptacles located on a gingival side ofthe longitudinally oriented centerline of said appliance slot, the pairof receptacles including a mesial edge trending in a mesial to distaldirection from a buccal to a lingual side of the receptacle, wherein atleast a portion of said exterior surface is rounded, wherein saidexterior surface comprises a substantially planar surface adjacent anocclusal-base edge, and wherein said exterior surface comprises asubstantially planar surface adjacent a gingival-base edge.
 21. Theappliance as claimed in claim 20, wherein at least one receptacle of thepair of receptacles comprises a single projection and a single cavity.22. The appliance as claimed in claim 20, wherein at least onereceptacle of the pair of receptacles comprises includes a recess forreceiving a tool that applies a force directed outward from a center ofthe recess.
 23. The appliance as claimed in claim 20, further comprisingat least one of (a) a second archwire slot and (b) an auxiliary tube.24. A method of adjusting a position of a tooth, comprising: attaching abuccal tube to the tooth; directing an archwire into an archwire slot inthe buccal tube, the archwire slot including a gingival side, anocclusal side, a buccal side, and a lingual side; and contacting anexterior surface of the archwire with friction reducing features locatedwithin the archwire slot, the friction reducing features comprising atleast one of: (a) a plurality of projections residing along alongitudinal length of at least one of the gingival side, occlusal side,buccal side, and lingual side; and (b) a longitudinally extendingprojection residing along a longitudinal length of one or more of thegingival side, occlusal side, buccal side, and lingual side.
 25. Themethod of claim 24, wherein said attaching comprises engaging the buccaltube using an installation tool, an exterior of the buccal tubecomprising a pair of receptacles for receiving a portion of theinstallation tool.